


Opposites

by diayou



Category: Berserk
Genre: Gen, Pre-Eclipse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 13:37:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12060096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diayou/pseuds/diayou
Summary: Guts reflects on the Band of the Hawk.





	Opposites

If he had told his younger self that he would eventually join a mercenary band with such an elegant leader, Guts would have laughed and dismissed it immediately. But here he was, sat with members of the Band of the Hawk around a glowing fire, watching as they joked and laughed. He still felt out of place, if he was being honest with himself. Everyone was so familiar with each other. It was like a large, somewhat dysfunctional family. And then there was him. It was almost as if he was a stray, disease-ridden dog that had stumbled upon the group. Some people tried to make him feel welcome, others just outright ignored him. He didn’t care that much, really. So long as he could do what he did best: fight.

Thinking about how close the Band of the Hawk was made him think about those who appeared to have the most influence. The top dogs. He wasn’t a massive fan of any of them.

Judeau was probably the most down-to-earth of them all, Guts thought. He was the only member he could really tolerate. He often spotted Judeau carving a piece of wood whilst humming to himself. His knife skills were impressive. In all honesty Guts was a little jealous of how well Judeau’s aim was, though he would never actually admit that. He was also one of the only members who was willing to strike up conversation with him. Granted it could be awkward, mainly because Guts didn’t know what to say and he just wanted to be left alone most of the time, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

Pippin, the “huge, somewhat intimidating fucker who could probably crush someone’s skull with little effort” as Guts liked to think of him as, wasn’t too bad either. His size, as well as the fact he rarely ever spoke to anyone, was enough to put some people off. When they all sat together in the evenings Guts could sometimes hear Pippin’s deep yet quiet laugh from behind him. The fact that he didn’t say much was the main reason why Guts could tolerate him. He didn’t really think much of him otherwise. His fighting skills were impressive, definitely, but… that was it.

Rickert... he was just _fucking annoying_. Why was a kid even part of a group like this? He didn’t know. His voice was incredibly grating as well. He was a nice kid, but he seemed incredibly naïve. He was almost like a lost puppy, following his elders around with no idea what he was supposed to do. It was one thing to just be travelling with the group, but Rickert _fought_ as well. Guts had to admit, though, that despite his age, Rickert had potential to become a good tactician and fighter. He just needed to keep watching and learning. And to hit puberty.

Corkus was arrogant. There was a mutual dislike between Guts and Corkus; they didn’t like each other. At all. Corkus often shot rude comments at Guts, whilst Guts glared at him in response. Sometimes he’d reply, making Corkus cringe in embarrassment before strutting off with a huff. Some would simply remark that they were joking, ‘just like good friends would!’, but it was clear to most that this wasn’t friendly banter. They were serious. Guts didn’t think much of Corkus’ fighting skills either. He was a coward from what he saw, running into battle before retreating less than a minute later. Guts didn’t like cowards, and, by the looks of it, Corkus didn’t like overly confident fighters either. They both agreed to just hate each other from the moment Guts joined the Band of the Hawk.

Gaston was tolerable. The two were often put together on the battlefield. He followed orders well and was a good fighter. At first, Guts found it strange how Gaston often threw around compliments, but he quickly grew used to it. He had to admit that it was quite nice to hear how good he was from time to time, especially from someone who seemed genuinely impressed. After each battle Gaston would find him, making sure he wasn’t injured before remarking that his swordsmanship was, once again, impeccable. Guts had his very own fan. It was funny, really. The swordsman simply shrugged it off, but hearing these compliments made him feel a little happy. Yes, Gaston wasn’t too bad in his eyes.

Casca was just a _vicious bitch_. Seeing Casca shattered Guts’ initial ideas of a woman’s role within society. He knew that some women fought, of course, but he had never met one as good as Casca. Or as fierce. She knew how to put the others in their place, that was for definite. Loads went out of their way to try and _not_ piss Casca off, but Guts was the opposite. He often tried to annoy her deliberately, which almost always resulted in a hard kick to the shin or a slap across the face. She shouted as well. God damn her shouting. Her reactions were always pretty funny, Guts thought. Was that bad? Probably, but doing that was the only way he could truly enjoy himself here. She seemed to dislike him anyway, which he didn’t care about much. Her attitude was reflected in her swordsmanship. Guts had to admire that, if he was being honest.  

Griffith. Oh, _Griffith._ Guts was not a huge fan of Griffith, that was a given. Griffith was the leader of the Band of the Hawk, and you could tell. The way that he carried himself really pissed Guts off. He was ‘a perfect pretty boy with a soft yet extremely punchable face’ as Guts liked to put it. Griffith was excellent with his sword, so much so that he actually managed to beat Guts. That shocked him. He was not used to being beaten, especially by someone who looked so fragile. Griffith was very attractive, feminine and overall very graceful. His kind personality, as well as all the other factors, just annoyed Guts. He was admired by literally _everyone_ in the Band of the Hawk, even Casca who didn’t seem to really like anyone that much anyway. What pissed him off the most, however, was that Griffith said that he _belonged_ to him. He didn’t belong to anyone, in his mind. He didn’t care what anyone else thought. Griffith truly was an asshole in Guts’ eyes. Was it jealousy or something else? He wasn’t sure and he didn’t exactly care either. The difference between Guts and Griffith was like day and night. He would never understand how someone could take such an interest in him.

Guts could feel his eyes burning. How long had he been staring at the fire for? He didn’t know. He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his short hair. While he still didn’t feel entirely welcome within the Band of the Hawk, he had to admire the dedication and fighting spirit of his fellow comrades. He may not have liked most of them as _people_ , but as fighters it was hard to fault them. It was no wonder that they were feared. Guts rubbed his eyes before stopping, feeling someone’s presence next to him.

“May I join you?” Guts looked up to see where the voice had come from. Although his sight was slightly blurry from his intense staring session, there was no denying who was there. His white hair really stuck out. Ah fuck.

“Mm.” Guts simply shrugged. He knew that even if he said no Griffith would join him anyway. That’s just how he was; he didn’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer.

“How are you finding life here in the Band of the Hawk? You have been here for a few months now.” Griffith asked, a small smile gracing his face.

“Fine.” Guts didn’t want to say anything else. Griffith let out a quiet chuckle from beside him before slowly sinking down to sit next to his comrade. The two sat in silence for a moment, almost as if Griffith was hoping Guts would say more, but he didn’t.

“You will get used to it eventually,” Griffith replied after a somewhat awkward silence. He looked into Guts’ eyes, “I must admit, you are quite different from everyone here. That is why I’m so fascinated by you. You know what they say, though: opposites attract.”


End file.
